Moldova Immigration, Citizenship & Residency Guide (2026)
Moldova’s citizenship-by-investment programme was repealed in 2020. This guide explains the pathways that are actually available today—citizenship by descent, marriage and naturalization, plus temporary and permanent residence and the new Digital Nomad Visa launched in September 2025.
Program Status — At a Glance
Moldova Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI): Repealed by Law No. 115 of 18 June 2020, effective 1 September 2020. Not accepting new applications. No official plans for reinstatement.
Active pathways to citizenship: descent (jus sanguinis), marriage, naturalization, reacquisition.
Active residency routes: work, study, family, business/investor, Digital Nomad Visa (launched 20 September 2025).
EU context: Moldova holds EU candidate status (June 2022); accession negotiations opened March 2026.
The Moldova CBI programme is closed
Moldova’s Citizenship-by-Investment Programme (MCBI) was created through Government Decision No. 786 of 4 October 2017 and launched in November 2018. It offered citizenship in exchange for a non-refundable contribution to the Public Investment Fund of Moldova (starting at €100,000 for a single applicant) plus government and due-diligence fees.
The programme was placed under moratorium in 2019 and formally repealed by Law No. 115 of 18 June 2020, which entered into force on 1 September 2020. The repeal was an explicit condition of a €30 million EU macro-financial assistance tranche and reflected anti-money-laundering concerns raised by the European Commission and the Council of Europe. Moldova’s subsequent EU candidate status (granted 23 June 2022) and the March 2026 opening of accession negotiations make reinstatement highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.
If you applied under the MCBI before its repeal, contact your legal representative directly—pending files were not converted into an alternative pathway.
Current pathways to Moldovan citizenship
Moldova’s Citizenship Law (Law No. 1024-XIV of 2 June 2000, as substantially amended in September 2025 with effect from 24 December 2025) recognizes the following grounds for acquiring citizenship:
- By birth on Moldovan territory or to a Moldovan parent.
- By recognition (the main descent route—see below).
- By adoption of a minor by a Moldovan citizen.
- By naturalization (general route for foreigners and stateless persons).
- By reacquisition or restoration for former citizens and their descendants.
Citizenship by descent (recognition)
Moldova is primarily a jus sanguinis jurisdiction. Article 12 of the Citizenship Law grants recognition to:
- Territorial-birth clause: persons born abroad who have at least one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent born on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The statutory cutoff is three generations back from the applicant.
- Historical (pre-1940) clause: persons who lived before 28 June 1940 in Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, the Herta region or the Moldavian ASSR, and their descendants. There is no generational limit for this category, subject to documentation.
- Deportation/refugee clause: persons deported or who fled from Moldovan territory from 28 June 1940 onwards, and their descendants. Again, no generational limit.
Typical processing time: 4–8 months after a complete file is filed, or 12–18 months if archival research is required first.
Citizenship by marriage
A foreign spouse of a Moldovan citizen qualifies for facilitated naturalization after 3 years of marriage combined with 3 years of legal residence in Moldova. General naturalization conditions (language, Constitution knowledge, clean record, oath) still apply.
Citizenship by naturalization
General naturalization requires a continuous period of legal residence in Moldova:
| Applicant category | Residence required |
|---|---|
| General applicants | 10 years |
| Stateless, refugees, humanitarian protection | 8 years |
| Minors naturalizing before age 18 | 5 years |
| Spouses of Moldovan citizens | 3 years residence + 3 years marriage |
Since 24 December 2025, naturalization applicants must also demonstrate adequate knowledge of the Romanian language and pass a test on the Constitution of Moldova. Prior broad exemptions have been narrowed. Applicants must show legal sources of income, a clean criminal record, and swear the oath of allegiance. Approval is by presidential decree, typically 6–12 months after filing.
Temporary residence permits (TRP)
Moldova’s TRP regime is governed by Law No. 200/2010 on the Regime of Foreigners and administered by the General Inspectorate for Migration (IGM). TRPs are available on the following grounds:
- Employment with a Moldovan employer (work permit required).
- Study at an accredited Moldovan educational institution.
- Family reunification with a Moldovan citizen or legal resident.
- Business activity or foreign investment meeting statutory thresholds.
- Project implementation, including international development projects and Free Economic Zone roles.
- Humanitarian, volunteer or religious activity.
- Long-term medical or rehabilitation treatment.
- Victims of human trafficking.
- Digital Nomad Visa (from 20 September 2025).
Standard documents include a valid passport, application form, recent photograph, proof of legal entry, apostilled criminal-record certificate from the country of origin, health insurance, proof of accommodation, proof of financial means and purpose-specific supporting documents (employment contract, enrollment certificate, family documents, investor documentation or proof of foreign income for digital nomads).
Government state-duty fees (per State Tax Law No. 213/2023) include: general TRP issuance 450 MDL; family reunification and repatriation 180 MDL; permanent residence card 1,000 MDL; work-based TRP with grant 3,600 MDL; work-based TRP extension 1,800 MDL; posted workers (up to 90 days) 100 MDL. Digital Nomad Visa processing fees range €80–€100. TRP cards cannot be valid beyond the holder’s passport. Extensions must be filed at least 30 days before expiry (15 days for EU citizens).
Moldova Digital Nomad Visa
Effective 20 September 2025, Moldova’s Digital Nomad Visa is a TRP category for remote workers earning income from foreign sources. It is administered by the General Inspectorate for Migration in coordination with the Invest Moldova Agency.
- Who qualifies: employees of foreign companies, freelancers with international clients, and entrepreneurs or shareholders of foreign businesses.
- Income: stable monthly foreign-source income of roughly USD 1,500–2,000, typically demonstrated through six months of bank statements (current threshold is set at 18× the forecasted average monthly salary in Moldova).
- Other requirements: valid health insurance covering Moldova for at least one year, clean criminal record, proof of accommodation in Moldova.
- Duration: up to 2 years initially, renewable in additional periods of up to 2 years each with no fixed cap on extensions (subject to ongoing eligibility).
- Tax: a 12% flat personal income tax on income derived from the nomad activity, with no mandatory local social-security or health-fund contributions.
- Application fee: €80–€100.
Time spent on the Digital Nomad TRP counts toward the continuous-residence requirement for permanent residence (see below), subject to category restrictions.
Permanent residence (PRP)
Under Law No. 200/2010, a foreign national may apply for permanent residence after:
- 3 years of continuous TRP, if married to a Moldovan citizen (with the marriage also lasting at least 3 years).
- 5 years of continuous TRP for all other eligible categories.
Additional requirements include adequate housing, satisfactory knowledge of Romanian, no criminal record in the last three years, and continued compliance with entry and residence rules. Students, certain posted workers, religious/humanitarian/volunteer workers, and some FEZ investment-project employees do not progress to PRP under the standard pathway.
PRP is granted for an indefinite period; the residence card itself is renewed periodically. Holding PRP does not confer citizenship—applicants must still satisfy the full naturalization criteria.
EU accession context and Moldovan passport strength
Moldova received EU candidate status on 23 June 2022. Technical accession negotiations across all six clusters and 33 acquis chapters opened in Brussels in March 2026, though the political calendar remains dependent on the lifting of blocking votes at Council level. Policy institutes have cited 2028 as a working target for substantial progress, but the actual accession date is uncertain.
The accession process has accelerated alignment of Moldovan law with EU standards on long-term residents, refugees and stateless persons, and is the main driver behind the December 2025 citizenship-law reforms.
As of January 2026, the Moldovan passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 120 destinations, ranking around 43rd–44th on the Henley Passport Index—including visa-free travel throughout the Schengen Area.
Free Economic Zones and investor residence
Moldova operates seven Free Economic Zones offering a 50% reduction of corporate income tax on export income, a 25% reduction on other income, 0–3–5-year exemptions for larger export-oriented investments, and zero VAT on intra-zone and export transactions. Participation in an FEZ can support a business/investor TRP, but there is no direct citizenship benefit tied to FEZ investment. Company registration, the creation of local jobs and minimum capital deployment (commonly cited around €100,000 for investor residence) drive eligibility for the investor TRP, not citizenship.
How we can help
Vardanyan & Partners advises international clients on cross-border immigration strategy between Moldova, Armenia and the wider post-Soviet region. If Moldova does not fit your situation, Armenia offers several active, well-established pathways:
- Armenian residence permits — temporary and permanent routes.
- Residence by investment in Armenia.
- Armenian digital nomad options.
- Armenian citizenship — by naturalization, ancestry or special grant.
- Business registration in Armenia for investor pathways.
